STAYING FOR GOOD – Catherine Bybee
A Most Likely To novel #2
Montlake Romance
ISBN: 978-1-50393-917-2
February 2017
Contemporary Romance

River Bend, Oregon – Present Day

Raised on the wrong side of the tracks, Zoe Brown left River Bend the moment she graduated from college. This included breaking up with her high school boyfriend, Luke Miller. Zoe has gone on to achieve celebrity chef status, but she still maintains contact with her high school best friends, Melanie and Jo. On a return trip to Oregon, Zoe spends time catching up with her friends and contacts her mother and younger sister, who now has a baby of her own. The family reunion doesn’t go well, especially when her mother is cagey about when their father is supposed to get out of prison. Zoe hates him with a vengeance due to the abuse they all endured because of him.

Meanwhile, Zoe and Luke reconnect and rekindle their romance. It will have to be long distance, but the love never went away. Back in Dallas where she lives, Zoe starts looking for a house to buy, but how does this affect her relationship with Luke, who’s roots (and work) are still in River Bend. After Melanie becomes engaged and asks for Zoe’s help in planning and catering the wedding, she goes all in, spending even more time in the town she once walked away from. Then, Zoe’s father is released from prison and her mother takes him back. Needless to say, Zoe is enraged and saddened. Will Melanie’s wedding go off without a hitch, or will something happen to ruin it?

In the second tale in the Most Likely series, we get to know more about Zoe and Luke, once high school sweethearts, who went on different paths in their life. Zoe hated being poor and living in a trailer, so she left that behind once she graduated. Her family’s life hasn’t changed much, except for the addition of her sister’s baby. There is plenty of friction in the family because they resent Zoe’s success. She has tried to deal with them, but is treated as an outsider by her mother. But the one good thing about River Bend has been her friends Melanie and Jo, as well as Gina, who owns a bed and breakfast and is like a second mother to the girls.

Luke works alongside his dad in the family garage but has never forgotten Zoe and they have even remained friendly. Oh, he has tried to have other female relationships, but none lasted long. It always comes back to Zoe. At the urging of Wyatt, his best friend and Melanie’s fiancé, Luke heads to Dallas to see Zoe. The sparks are rekindled, and when she returns to River Bend, their affair is reignited. Could Luke move to Dallas where she lives? Meanwhile, Zoe is at a crossroads in her life. Stay or move on to another city?

While STAYING FOR GOOD focuses a lot on Luke and Zoe’s reunion, there are other things going on. There is Melanie and Wyatt’s wedding and you can find their tale in DOING IT OVER, out now. Everything seems to be going smoothly, but could that change? Zoe’s relationship with her family erodes even further when her father returns. Will he return to his old ways? Zoe’s friend Jo is the sheriff and suddenly she’s getting these uncomfortable feelings that she’s being watched. Will we find out the answer in the final book in the series, MAKING IT RIGHT?

If you can redo your past and make the bad things good, then you can relate to Zoe and Luke in STAYING FOR GOOD. Their emotional journey is like being on a boat on a slow and winding river…it has a few boulders to pass, but the end is a wonderful place to be. You can find STAYING FOR GOOD at Amazon and I highly recommend picking it up.

Patti Fischer

Review to post www.romrevtoday.com soon.

Catherine Bybee with Staying for Good, continues the story of three friends. In this #2 in the series the focus is on Zoe Brown, once voted by her school mates as the one most likely to never leave River Bend. Well.... Zoe proved them wrong, she certainly left this little place in Oregon and went out into the big world and became a successful chef. Is she likely to ever return to River Bend and stay for good?

Well her best friend Mel is about to have a big event take place in her life that Zoe will want to be there for. Also Luke Miller, the guy she let go when she left River Bend still loves Zoe and if she won't come to him then he just may be prepared to come to her.

I thoroughly enjoyed the continuing story of these women, meeting up again with Mel, Zoe and Jo the local sheriff. So why did Zoe leave River Bend? Well it turns out she had an abusive father - Ziggy now in jail, a horrible excuse of a human. He made their life a misery when they were all growing up and Zoe also has a lingering worry that if she and Luke become close will it work out?

There is challenge, the facing of old and new wounds, a sense of danger lurks, but through it all love and deep friendship and towns folk who work together. Some hot romance and humor all mixed in together. There is an exploration of an abusive parenthood and husband so if this is a difficult subject for you it may be you'll either want to miss out on it, or embrace and rejoice in it.

It is well paced, plenty of action and I just love the place and the characters.

I most certainly will look forward to Jo's story, looking forward to finding out about a sense of someone watching - and who will be the man of her dreams. I have one hope but we shall see.

Don't usually enjoy stories about rekindled flames but this book was an exception. Catherine Bybeenis a great name in contemporary romance. An awesome read!

Catherine Bybee does it again! This was a great continuation from Doing It Over. I really enjoy a series that could be read as stand-alones but are better appreciated when read in order, which is what you get with the Most Likely To series. I enjoyed the family drama with Zoe and then the romance between her and Luke. You can really feel the love pull between Zoe and Luke throughout the story and find yourself hoping they can overcome the obstacles. Now, I cannot wait to hear Jo's story in the next book, Making It Right, especially with the information we are provided in both prior books.

In Staying for Good, the second book in her Most Likely To series, Catherine Bybee continues the stories of the three childhood friends, Zoe, Jo, and Melanie that began in Doing It Over. By the end of the first book, I was not only intrigued by all three women, I was fully invested in their lives and their journeys to happiness and love. For Zoe, the journey takes her back to her hometown and her first love but also to her dysfunctional family and abusive father. When they were young, Zoe's only thought was to escape while Luke couldn't envision a future away from the town, the job, and the family he loved. Both are older now, both are wiser, but until the past is put to rest, they'll have no hope of making their second chance work.

Using themes of friendship, family dysfunction, and second chances (with a first love), Catherine Bybee drew me into this story and left these characters in my mind, and my heart, well after turning the final page. Perhaps it’s because threads of this book are inspired by Bybee’s own childhood that the paths followed by her characters resonate with greater truth and deeper emotion. The author skillfully balances the darkness of the heroine’s family with humor, some quirky secondary characters, a hero I adored, a touch of suspense, a free-spirited woman who has been the maternal influence in all three of the friends' lives, and Jo and Melanie, who always have Zoe's back, no matter what.

If you’re looking for a contemporary romance with women’s fiction overtones, strong bonds of friendship, a love that captures your heart, and a woman who finally finds her voice, her strength, and the life she is meant to live, look no further than Catherine Bybee’s Staying for Good.

While this book stands on its own, for deeper enjoyment and a more complete understanding of the characters, I strongly recommend reading the books in order.

4.5 Stars

If you follow my reviews, you will know that I love Catherine Bybee and her writing. No matter what she write, she has the uncanny ability to pull you into the story from the very start and engage your emotions on a level that very few authors out there can. And she definitely doesn't disappoint with Staying For Good. Ultimately, this is a second chance story with a sprinkle of danger and suspense. The two main characters are intriguing and real and will make you live through their heartbreaking story together with them.

Zoe is a character I admire. Like a phoenix she rose from the ashes of the nightmare she lived through as a child and followed her dream. That cost her a lot and she broke her own heart in the process but she did what she needed to do to survive. She thought she healed her broken heart. She thought she had everything she needed. Until she met Luke again... And Zoe saw all that was missing in her life.

Zoe and Luke's story is not easy, but it is romantic and tender and definitely hot. And it doesn't hurt that there is just enough danger, suspense and heartbreak to make it a page turner. And it ends in a way that will make you crave the next book in the series. And I am sure that's going to be a roller coaster ;) But for now, get your #1click finger working and pick up your copy of Staying for Good :)

This review was originally posted at Living In Our Own Story Book Blog. I received an ARC of the book in exchange of an honest review.

Having read the first book in the series I was really looking forward getting to know Zoe even better. She has had a hard start in life but with grit and smarts she’s managed to make herself a success. Although that doesn’t mean her rough childhood didn’t leave some scars. As great as she’s had it she’s finding it difficult to just let herself believe that she’s made it and that she’s able to relax her guard a little. She’s still convinced that it might all be taken away from her and she’ll be back at the bottom. And being in her hometown with her family stirs up all sorts of memories that are better left behind … and a few that are just that special and good.

Zoe may have run away as fast and far as she could, but Luke is happy at home. He’s got a life that works for him, one that he’s happy with surrounded by friends and family. It took a lot out of Luke when Zoe left and seeing her again has stirred up a lot of feelings. And some of those give him with a feeling that he may be missing out on something not seeing the rest of the world. Plus, he’s thinking that maybe he’ll only find happiness with the girl who originally stole his heart.

While there is a lot of Brown family drama, there isn’t all that much on the romantic side (which I was afraid there would be with Zoe and Luke’s history). Most second chance love stories are just packed full of hurt feelings, maybe some misunderstanding or miscommunication, but definitely a lot of angst. I shouldn’t have doubted Ms. Bybee’s talent, though, because she’s never failed me before so why should she now! Instead she gives readers her all with characters of great depth and humanity, emotions that run the guantlet, and crisp writing that captures your attention from the first page. She’s been one of my guaranteed authors for a while now – just seeing her name means I know it’ll be a winner – but with each new book she surprises me with how amazingly good she continues to be 🙂

(While it isn’t necessary to have read Doing It Over, it will help to give you some context.)

This is a very powerful emotional second chance romance. I loved that Luke and Zoe never hated each other. They broke up and went their separate ways and it was painful and neither ever really recovered but they didn't hate each other. Zoe had a rough childhood but chose to leave River Bend and the man she loved to get away and find herself, Luke was content to stay home because he never really felt a need to leave. After Zoe returned to town they discovered how much they missed each other and decided to see if they could make it work. I loved watching these two reconnect. I liked seeing the characters from the previous book again and the peek into the next book. I can't wait to see Jo’s story! I received an arc of this book from the publisher through net galley in exchange for an honest review.

In a lot of ways, Staying for Good has more in common with yesterday’s book, The Cottage at Firefly Lake, than it does with the first book in its own series, Doing It Over.

These are all small-town romances that have at their heart a sisterly relationship. And it doesn’t matter a bit that the women in Cottage are sisters-by-blood while the women in the Most Likely To series are sisters-of-the-heart. The relationships are equally deep and equally lasting.

Also equally life-changing.

Unlike Doing it Over, the love stories in both The Cottage at Firefly Lake and Staying for Good are second chance romances. And they are second chances of the same type. Just as in Cottage, heroine Zoe Brown in Staying for Good gave up the love of her life when she left her small town after high school, and became a big star in a demanding field.

The causes were similar in both cases. Zoe absolutely had to leave River Bend, while Luke had always planned to stay. They didn’t fall out of love, they just went in completely separate directions. But they broke up before they had a chance to discover whether they could work long-distance, and never got past the loss.

Zoe has become a famous chef, both on TV and in restaurant gigs around the country. She’s come far from her origins in River Bend as the daughter of a violent abusive convict and his co-dependent victim. She came back to River Bend in Doing It Over, and discovered that not nearly enough had changed.

She still felt much too much for Luke, and her birth family was still much too much of a messy drama. She had tried to help as best she could, but her mother seems to be beyond help, and her brother and sister seem set to follow all the bad family patterns.

There’s nothing left in River Bend for Zoe except her sisters-of-the-heart, Jo and Mel, her surrogate mother Gina, and, of course, Luke. Who she shouldn’t want but still does.

Zoe is back again to help plan Mel’s wedding (see Doing it Over for deets) and steps right back into the family mess when her not-so-dear-old-dad gets parole, and immediately returns to his destructive ways.

But Zoe isn’t a child anymore. This time, she fights back. With Luke at her side, every step of the way.

Escape Rating B+: In spite of how many times I mentioned it above, you don’t actually have to read Doing it Over to enjoy Staying for Good. But it’s a terrific story, and if you enjoy small-town romances mixed with stories of deep women’s friendships, it’s a lovely book.

Back to Staying for Good. This is a story with three separate branches. One is, of course, the second chance at love between Zoe and Luke. They’ve spent years avoiding each other, and have both tried to move on. But it has been over 10 years, and neither of them has found anyone to replace the other in their lives. Not only has neither of them even flirted with the idea of a serious relationship with anyone else, but neither of them has found anyone who simply “gets” them the way the other does. They were best friends as well as lovers, and neither of them has found anyone who can fill both pairs of those shoes.

They’ve also both reached crossroads in their lives. Luke has been content in River Bend, running the local car repair garage with his father. But the small town is starting to feel a bit stifling. Or perhaps boring. He’s nearly 30 and hasn’t been anywhere or done much of anything with his life. Whether it’s his feet that are itchy or just his heart is a question he needs to answer.

Zoe, on the other hand, has been at the top of the chef’s world for several years. She can work where she wants, when she wants, and is a frequent guest chef at top restaurants and on big-name TV cooking shows. But she doesn’t really have a life. And while she doesn’t miss her parents much, she is worried about her younger brother and sister and misses her circle of friends a great deal.

She’s ready to put down roots, but not sure where to sink them. And she’s starting to realize that her heart is back in River Bend, even if her work is elsewhere.

Into the middle of Zoe and Luke’s romantic dilemma, Zoe is also in the middle of her own family drama. Her father fits the classic portrait of an abuser. He beat his wife, he beat his kids, he was worse when he drank, and he was just a mean bastard all the way around. He was also an expert manipulator. And when he returns from prisoner, he goes right back to manipulating the family. Since Zoe is not only out, but willing to throw a lifeline to any of her family members who are willing to grab it, he does his level best (and worst) to alienate the family from her. And he nearly succeeds.

(I will say that the way that this part of the story is resolved reminds me a bit too much of Doing it Over. Without spoiling the story, let me say that this particular method of resolution veers into deus ex machina territory when repeated, so I hope that the budding suspense angle in the third book in the series doesn’t resolve quite the same way.)

The final thread to the story, of course, is the sisterly bond between Zoe, Mel and Jo. This isn’t just Zoe’s story, it’s also all of theirs. The portrayal of the friendship between these women is always marvelous. Because all three of these women are fantastic characters, I’m really looking forward to Jo’s story in Making it Right.

The Skinny

Despite the talk they all heard growing up, Zoe Brown did not stay in River Bend and relive the trailer tragedy that was her life growing up. She learned to cook in Sam’s diner and took refuge at Ms. Gina’s, and her culinary career took off after participating in a network TV culinary competition show.

Her mother works at the local diner and her father was an abusive drunk. Ziggy eventually wound up in maximum security following a mini mart hold-up. Jo’s dad, the former sheriff, documented as much as possible the doings of Ziggy Brown, and when he returns to town following his release, she breaks out the mountains of files about the Brown family.

The year previous, Zoe returned to River Bend for her 10 year high school reunion, and being back in her small town brought all the old memories of her high school love with Luke back. It didn’t help that they kept running in to one another, and the fact that the flame was still alive. She returned again when Mel’s daughter went missing and Luke realized he wasn’t over her.

With Wyatt and Mel’s upcoming nuptials, they make a decision that sends Luke colliding with Zoe. With monumental life decisions, they reignite what started in high school. With Zoe going back and forth from River Bend to Dallas, she is reevlauating her life – but has a lot of reasons to stay away from River Bend.

The Players

Zoe Brown – a trailer park girl who left her small town and became a famous chef

Luke – Zoe’s high school flame; he stayed in River Bend to work at his dad’s shop

Jo – Zoe’s good friend; she is the local sheriff

Mel – another good friend; she is newly engaged/married to Wyatt and works at Ms. Gina’s

Wyatt – Mel’s significant other

Ms. Gina – the unofficial matron of Zoe, Jo, and Mel; she owns a B&B and is famous for her “red pitcher lemonade”



Zoe’s Family

Zane – Zoe’s younger brother; he was a very troubled teen that seems to be headed in the right direction

Zanya – Zoe’s younger sister; she has a baby, Blaze and lives at home trying to get by

Sheryl – the Brown mother; she works at the local diner and looks well beyond her age; deflects and lies

Ziggy – the Brown father; he has been incarcerated for the last 17 years

The Quote

Miss Gina was still mentoring the youth of River Bend.

“Just keep them out of the lemonade.”

“Are you kidding? That’s what keeps the track team in this town full.”
The Highs and Lows

The Familiarity. This is the second book in the series, and I fell in love with the characters back then and reading from a new character’s perspective as their stories and lives continue brings back all the good feels. Knowing the history of the characters and how they are connected and the tight-knit, good friends that they are is sometimes hard to see in our world today. So many people are busy doing their own things, have their own families that keep them busy, and the familiartiy of the characters and the down-homey feel of River Bend was a good return.
Zoe. Zoe is a character with a truly troubled past, and it is all revealed in the book. This was not something I really knew from the first one – things were hinted at, but the reality and gravity of the situation was not there. She reveals all in this installment. As a child of abuse, I can empathize with her. She strove to get out of River Bend and not be the same as her parents. Not only did she accomplish that, she became very successful so that she could help assist her mother. With reality crashing in, it is hard for Zoe to accept that everyone else in her family downplays and sugarcoats just how bad it was, and she is left an outsider and feeling like she’s walked through the Twilight Zone. As if everyone else lived in the same reality and she lived in a disillusioned, alternate version. This creates a lot of strife among the members of her family, and tension.
Jo. She was that kid in high school that was always in trouble. She overcame that thanks to the Sherriff’s choice of discipline for River Bend hoodlums: running for the track team. It was double punishment that the Sheriff was also her dad. She lives every day in his shadow and takes a lot of cues from his work and the records he kept. She pulls out files upon files when the man her dad worked hard to put away returns to River Bend. None other than Zoe’s father, who hasn’t changed one bit – he’s just learned to be sneakier. Jo is unfailing in that she is on this like a bloodhound and will not give up. She will not see her best friend destroyed and hurt any more than she was before. More spunk and personality of Jo come out in this installment, and she’s an interesting woman. And she’s continuing her father’s legacy.
The banter. Because this is a group of friends who have largely grown up with one another the majority of their lives, the interactions are wonderful. No one is left out, even little Hope. The warmth and the concern, the love and the joshing all come out in the dialogue between characters, no matter which ones are in a particular scene. There are funny moments, there are quiet and reflective moments, and their are serious moments. I enjoyed them all.
The Plot. The plot centered around Zoe’s possible return to River Bend and her rekindling romance with Luke, but that was one linear plot that bubbles on top of the plot zeroing in on Zoe’s family issues. Ziggy Brown and his influence and reach – his negativity and the bad aura he carries around everywhere he goes – fuels the plot. Everything about Zoe’s life now revolves around how this impacts her family and herself. I will say that Ziggy’s moments he has are crude and very telling. Reading his snippets and scenes made me nervous of what was to come.
The Take-Away

Such great characters and a complex plot! I didn’t think I would encounter as much as I did in this book. Things that were just lurking beneath the surface of the synopsis.

Recommendation – Buy, Borrow or Skip?

BUY! Read it. You won’t regret it!

If you've followed my blog at all, you may have noticed that I ADORE Catherine Bybee's books! She's one of my go-to authors that I will always make room for because I love spreading her books to you guys! And this book was my first book hangover of 2017. Staying For Good had all the feels!

Zoe was a strong female character who had to deal with a lot life had thrown her way. She was making it! She had to remove the negativity as much as she could and she was living life her way. However, Luke still had a place in her heart. He was her first love and he had never truly gone away from her thoughts or her heart. Luke had never had a desire to leave their hometown. He had loved Zoe fiercely before she left town. It was a young love and he moved on the best he could, but she too still had a place in his heart.

This book begins with a bit of backstory on these two, then we move to present day. We see how they have gotten to where they are today, what they're doing, who they're still friends with and see that recently life has thrown them together a little more. Luke is the right amount of laid back and alpha when he needs to be. He understands Zoe and sees what she needs and she gets him as well. He's her rock and watching them together was oh-so-sweet! It was a little bittersweet and sad sometimes too, but it was great watching their story! Ok, so yes, I was reading it, but don't we picture things happening vs just words on a page?! I loved their journey, their love and didn't want this book to end! Don't let this book pass you by! One-click it right now!

***ARC Provided by the Author and NetGalley***

Catherine Bybee is a go-to author for me when I am in the mood to read a story that pulls at my heart and makes me love the characters.

This was no different. From the second you meet Zoe, you are engaged in the story. She is interesting, you understand where she is coming from, and you are on her side.

And then you meet Luke. And, you like him and wonder why in the world she ever let him. And then you get to know the life she left behind in the small town, and you understand. But then you get to know Luke, and Luke and Zoe together. And, you really want everything to work out for them.

The writing in this book is strong, and there are no points in it that move slowly and I never lost interest in the story. One of the real talents of Catherine Bybee is the human stories she tells in her books, and this one was so great.

There is a note from the author in this one that is compelling as well...and you know, if you didn't already, that this book (like everything she writes) came from the heart. And, knowing that the author's heart is in every one of her books is going to keep me reading the next one she writes, and the one after that.

I recommend this book.

Wow! Zoe and Luke's story was awesome! After meeting them in the first book in the series, I was excited to revisit this small town and the set of friends. Bybee puts together another riveting story that keeps you guessing. Now, I'm on pins and needles waiting for Jo's book!

Staying for Good by Catherine Bybee is a contemporary love story set in a small town called River Bend. Zoe could not wait to leave her home town. She grew up in a home where life was hard and she was not considered special. Only she managed to get herself out and into a new life. She is a famous chef looking to finally settle in Dallas. Only her best friend Melanie is getting married and Zoe’s coming home for the wedding.

Luke was her boyfriend in high school and the only other friend Zoe had. She broke off with him when she left and he has never really gotten over her leaving. He works in his Dad’s garage and lately has started to think more might be more in the world for him and maybe Zoe. Together they realize what is really important for them, but there are a few problems, most related to her family.

Catherine Bybee writes stories that stick with you. Characters that seem real and hometowns that celebrate small town life. Staying for Good is a great read. I am sorry I didn’t read the first book in the series first (only because I like to read books in order). I didn’t feel I was missing anything by not reading them in order. I have enjoyed reading the books I have read by Catherine Bybee and really need to put her on my love to read list.

This is the second book in the series. This author has an amazing talent for bringing you stories that will touch your heart. You will fall in love with the characters from the first page. I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series. I cant wait to read more from this author in the future.

Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

Loved this book, by first time reading Catherine Bybee, I will definitely be looking for more by this author. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. Great story about Zoe, raised in a poor, broken family who's father is now in jail. She leaves the small town to escape and does well for herself in her cooking career, however she has left behind an old boyfriend Luke. During a visit home to see her girlfriends, they re-aquaint. A story of supportive girlfriends,high school sweethearts, love and friendship helps Zoe get through the emotional struggle of her father being released from jail. Great story, well developed characters, a love story with just enough suspense and a happy ending.

4.5 Stars
Book 2 in the Most Likely To Series and this is Luke and Zoe's story, but we also get to catch up with Jo, Mel, Wyatt as well as the adorable Hope.
Zoe ran from Luke and her home town of River Bend many years ago but now it's time to visit because her best friend Mel is getting engaged to Luke's best friend Wyatt. Luke has never gotten over Zoe and now is his time to win her back.
But life doesn't always run to plan and Zoe's father who is in jail is up for parole, will she run again.....
What I loved about this second chance romance was the indepth history we got about Zoe's life and past in River Bend. As always this author gives you characters that you can't help falling in love with, friends and lovers who go out of their way to protect each other. I love this series and if you love small town romances this is a must read.

The Most Likely series features three best friends ~ Mel, Jo and Zoe. Their enduring bond of friendship made a spectacular foundation for the other relationships within the story. Luke and Zoe’s childhood experiences varied greatly, this makes their obstinate history more pronounced. Of course, the author handles the blending of that history with the personalities they have grown into – without diminishing the motivations of two complex, real characters.

Well, my fellow romance book-loving friends, this is one of those times I’m struggling to put my thoughts in order to adequately describe my feelings about this book. Let me start off by sharing some basic facts to get this literary ball rolling.

FACT: Zoe grew up in a rundown trailer park situated in a small Oregon town in poverty and abuse, mainly due to her violent/hot tempered, currently incarcerated father who taught life lessons using his fists. Upon graduating high school, Zoe decides she wants more for herself that what her mom and siblings are settling for. She abruptly breaks things off with her high school, good guy mechanic boyfriend of two years, Luke, packs her bags, and amazingly finds fame and fortune as a celebrity chef. After attending a ten year high school reunion, Luke ultimately decides he wants to do whatever it takes to give them a second chance. With mutual friends and circumstances that seem to lead them back to one another, the romantic plot starts to unfold featuring a determined, still head over heels in love hero, lots of chemistry/steamy scenes, and a mostly receptive to the idea heroine, who is also worried things won’t work out.

When Zoe’s family drama gets stirred up again and enters the mix, the romance portion seems to take a backseat to her dysfunctional family, her friend’s wedding, and Zoe’s business dealings. With an ambiance that reminded me of Robert DeNiro’s character in Cape Fear, I must admit I became completely captivated by the inevitable storm of violence that was brewing and especially to Jo, the cool, calm, protective female sheriff. I’m keeping my fingers crossed the next book will be about her, folks.

I must admit around 30% into, I wasn’t sure I was going to finish it. Mainly because my impression of Zoe, the heroine, wasn’t that favorable. It bothered me she choose herself over Luke and their relationship ten years ago and dang if this good guy hero didn’t deserve better than that. I got she wanted to break the cycle of poverty and despair that plagues her family, but she did break Luke’s heart in the process. Fortunately, as I got to know her full history and the hot mess she was returning to, I better understood her character’s rationale. I still bugged me though why years later she didn’t attempt a compromise.

Yes, Luke picked up the pieces of his heart but no woman he’s been with has ever measured up to his Zoe. Likewise, she’s been with other men but never committed her heart. When Luke makes a bold move a decade later to give them a second chance, her indecisiveness made it difficult for me at first to root for them as a couple. Fortunately, I did get past it.

So even though I had issues at first with the slow paced plot and somewhat reluctant heroine, I’m glad I stuck it out. Not only did this couple grow on me but the side plot became very engaging and the inevitable explosive showdown made it worth it. Not to worry, there is still more drama to be solved. For example, who killed Jo’s father, the former sheriff, and why does she feel something else is about to happen. I’m now really looking forward to the next sequel.

Romance Safety Gang: <spoiler>As mentioned earlier, the main couple obviously were not celibate during their ten year separation. Wyatt and Mel’s bachelor/bachelorette parties happened the same time/separate locations in Vegas. The guys went to a strip club and the girls had some male stripper entertainment, as well. Until they were officially a couple again, the main couple would go out with their friends with the intent of possibly having one night stands with people they met in bars.</spoiler>

Title: Staying For Good, Series: Most Likely To (Book 2), Author: Catherine Bybee, Pages: 322, stand-alone put part of a series, some violence, disturbing wife abuse, references to past child abuse, crude/evil dad drama, some very smexy scenes with lusty language, good guy hero, great cast of sub-characters.

Book 1 - Doing It Over, Pages: 317, 4/19/16 (Melanie & Wyatt)
Book 2 - Staying For Good, Pages: 322, 1/24/17 (Zoe & Luke)

(This review is based on advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley. It will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads, NetGalley, and Barnes & Noble.)

Getting voted most likely to never leave your hometown - would it make you stay, or even more determined to leave?


For Zoe, that title made her even more determined to get out of dodge, leaving her high school sweetheart Luke behind.


And boy do I love how they have proved the town wrong! But as amazing as her life looks from the outside, she still has her demons, her cross to bear, those who want to drag her down.


And Luke... omg that guy is all kinds of swoonworthy.


I loved the character growth in Zoe as the story progressed, from a character that I liked to a character that I really adored.


I love love love the banter between Zoe, Mel (from book 1) and Jo, the wit and snark that can only come from being best friends.


There were some times that the story just made me want to throw my kindle - not from the writing, just things that characters did!


There is a bit of drama, a bit of suspense and a whole lotta love in Staying For Good. And great build up to Jo's story - Please don't leave us waiting too long Ms Bybee!